WATCH: Drone expert answers popular drone-related questions

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Videographer Seb answers all your burning drone filming Scotland questions in a dedicated video

Drone filming Scotland Seb

DRONE FILMING SCOTLAND is a red hot trend right now. More and more brands are looking towards drone video to help elevate (quite literally!) their marketing projects, in an effort to position themselves above their rivals and attract the attention of a densely populated and competitive consumer world.

But with interest on the rise, with that comes a raft of questions that needs answered. Some people don’t know about the legalities of flying a drone; how much hiring a drone costs; or even if drone footage is truly for them.

So, we decided to try and answer as many of your queries as possible on our Facebook page, 9th August 2018 (dated as rules and requirements can always change!).

Q. WHAT ARE THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS YOU MUST HAVE TO FLY A DRONE IN THE UK?

A. ”You can fly any drone that is under 7 kilos. All you need to do is buy one and it’s yours. You don’t need any license or approval – although, that being said, it does lie within the legal framework.

”The basic thing to remember – when you are flying the drone – is that you can’t fly above 400ft off the ground and the drone can not travel more than a distance of 500 metres away from you.

”You need to have a safety distance of 50 metres – you can’t be within a 50 metre range of another person, or any other aircraft, unless they are under your control, and for that you need their permission.

”For any other restrictions please consult the air navigation order.”

Q. IS FLYING A DRONE WITH A CAMERA LEGAL?

A. ”Flying a drone with a camera attached is legal, as well as without a camera. It’s the same rules as if there was no camera.”

Q. WHEN AND WHERE CAN YOU FLY A DRONE?

A. ”You can fly a drone during the day and also at night if you have the permission to do so.

”There are several apps that can tell you precisely what the weather is going to be, and it can tell you if you are able to fly in some areas – for example wind-speed at higher altitudes, gust etc. Things that will impact your decision on whether or not you can fly.

”Always remember: if you have doubt, don’t fly.

”You should also consult the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) where it tells you of any flying activity in the UK. So, before every flight you should actually check to see if there are any other flights, aircraft activity or restrictions before you go flying.”

Q. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A DRONE FOR CAPTURING VIDEO?

A. ”The benefits of using a drone to capture video includes giving you a higher stance for viewing things.

”You can make shots that you wouldn’t be able to make if you were just on your feet.

”The drone video is a revolution for us. It’s fairly new to the media sector. It’s really kicking off in other industries like agriculture and construction.

”It also has visual value like cinematic film because it’s stabilised. You can be really creative with it.”

Q. WHAT HAPPENS IF MY DRONE RUNS OUT OF BATTERY MID-FLIGHT?

A. ”Technically, if that happens, if your battery runs down to zero per cent it means that the battery is dead – and it can’t come back to life, like any other battery really. So, your drone is going to fall, there’s nothing you can do about it!

”Thankfully, this technology is quite smart so the battery will tell you when it is running low. You can also input a set percentage on the device so the drone automatically knows when to come home.”

Q.HOW LONG WOULD A DRONE PROJECT USUALLY TAKE FROM INCEPTION TO COMPLETION?

A. ”It really depends on one project or the other.  For flying the drone itself, I tend to fly the drone two times – I have two batteries – it takes around an hour to set up with half an hour effective flight.

”It really depends on what you want to do. If you just want to take a few photos it could be five or ten minutes, but altogether an hour just for the flights entirety.

”And it’s quite intense, you have to remember that. Flying demands a lot of concentration.”

Q. HOW MUCH DOES HOLYROOD PR CHARGE FOR DRONE FILMING SCOTLAND?

A.”At Holyrood PR we charge £160 per hour for flying with the drone. We also offer packages which includes flying and editing, and it really depends if you just want photographs or video.

”And on top of that – until the end of August – we have a 25 per cent offer for any drone projects.”

Q. HOW DO WE REACH OUT TO YOU AND ENQUIRE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS SERVICES?

A. ”If you are interested in our drone services go to our website or pick up the phone and we’ll take it from there.”


It was recorded that on June 2016 #dronestagram had been used 295,406 times. We ran some quick research and found out that the term has now been used in over 3million posts. That’s an impressive growth rate of nearly 1,000 per cent in that space of only two years! It’s time to add drone content to your Instagram account now.


Drone filming is a completely new and innovative way to capture your business’ message and tell it to the world.

Are you interested in hiring our drone filming Scotland team for your next project?

Contact a member of our drone filming Scotland team using the form below and we will be in touch.

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